Abstract

POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS INTAKE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH BREAST CANCER AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING THE RADIATION AND ISOTOPE CENTER IN KHARTOUM STATE

Hafsa A. Elsafi* and Hassan A/Aziz Musa

Abstract

Objective: To determine any association between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) intake by Sudanese women attending the Radiation and Isotope Center in Khartoum and the incidence of breast cancer (BC). Methodology: Sixty BC patients (mean age 44 years) and 60 controls (mean age 39 years) participated. Dietary PUFAs intake was measured by Platelet PUFAs. Results: Patients had higher platelets Linoleic Acid (LA) levels but lower Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), Eiocosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Decosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) levels compared with the controls; all differences were highly significant (P=0.000; 0.001; 0.000 respectively). Conclusion: High platelets LA and low ALA, EPA and DHA might be possible factors associated with BC among Sudanese women.

Keywords: Linoleic acid, ?-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, dietary intake, platelet levels.